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Over the past year, Lynden Transport, Lynden Air Cargo, Alaska Marine Lines and Lynden International have replaced propane forklifts with energy efficient electric models. “Not only are the new lifts better for the environment, they perform better, too,” explains Charlie Mottern, Lynden Transport Director of Maintenance. “Independent drive motors allow both tires to spin together which makes them great in the snow.”

Lynden Transport has replaced 21 lifts so far and five more are being added this year. “This brings the total to 26 electric lifts of 45 dock lifts company wide,” Charlie says. The Tacoma location is next for electric conversion. All Lynden Transport locations in Alaska use electric lifts. Lynden International in Los Angeles has two lifts and Anchorage has three. Three more will be added this year to make the Lynden Air Cargo-Lynden International facility in Anchorage 100 percent electric.

Alaska Marine Lines purchased six new electrics in 2012 and bought six more this year. Twelve of the 18 lifts in the Container Freight Station (CFS) are now electric models, which emit 50 percent less carbon than propane lifts. With 46 electric lifts in operation by the end of 2013, savings will total $138,000 per year in energy costs while reducing 362 metric tons of CO2 going into the atmosphere.

The electric lifts are especially useful at Lynden Transport’s Prudhoe Bay Service Center where snow and ice are everyday factors. “The three new lifts definitely provide better traction,” says Service Center Manager John Jansen. “We no longer have to fight the icy ramps when moving freight.” In Anchorage, employees report positive changes ranging from cleaner warehouse floors to saving on electricity and heating bills due to a reduction in fan use. Electric lifts do not emit fumes.

Lynden companies continue to be committed to working lean and green every day of the year. Since 2008, improvements such as lighting upgrades, motion sensors, heating and air conditioning improvements, and strategic insulation have resulted in dramatic energy efficiency improvements.

Alaska Hovercraft in Bethel replaced High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights with high efficiency fluorescents at the airport and shop and saw an immediate 26 percent reduction in electricity use. “We recouped the cost of both upgrades in less than two months. The new lights are so bright that we can shut down half the warehouse lights during low traffic work hours without any safety concerns,” says General Manager Kevin Carter.

At Alaska Marine Lines in Seattle, the new Container Freight Station (CFS) expansion also included the installation of high efficiency lights. Employees came up with the idea to paint walls, ceiling, doors, and headers bright white and scrubbing and resealing floors. The white walls reflect light and eliminate the need for more lighting fixtures. “We also replaced the old thermostats and eliminated several heating systems working against each other,” explains Seattle Terminal Manager Mark Gaska.

Other improvements throughout Lynden companies include:

At LTI, Inc. in Sunnyside, WA, lighting upgrades in the shop and individual motion sensors installed on each light allow partial instead of full lighting of the shop. The change resulted in a 20 percent reduction in energy use.

Lynden International’s Boston employees worked with their landlord to install an automatic thermostat and saw a 30 percent reduction in electricity and heating use.

Anchorage's South Air Park facility uses "heat recovery" to heat some spaces while cooling others. A split duct in the IT computer room reroutes warm air into the basement below the offices and warm air from the second floor offices is rerouted to the cross dock.

In Fairbanks, Lynden Transport’s recent warehouse expansion and upgrades included installing a dock door “curtain” to reduce heat loss in the winter months plus new dock plates and insulation to keep a tight seal around the doors. “But the biggest change was a new heating system which allowed us to manage our heat with digital thermostats. We can now set temperatures for specific times of day and days of the week,” says Manager Greg Busher. The changes have resulted in a 20 percent reduction in natural gas use from 2011 to 2012. The Fairbanks upgrades were identified as potential ideas in an energy audit for the company done in 2011.

“A number of our companies participated in the Alaska Energy Authority program and signed up for audits to identify priorities for energy upgrades in 2011 and 2012,” explains Anna Deal, Lynden’s Green Team and Green Initiative Coordinator. “The greatest opportunity for savings comes from replacing inefficient lighting, installing automatic controls such as digitally controlled thermostats and motion sensors, sealing air leaks and repairing insulation around dock doors and other areas.”

Alaska West Express is testing an on-board oil filtration system on six of its tractors that is allowing the company to operate even more clean and green. The trucks can now run as many as 145,000 miles between oil changes, eliminating around 56 oil changes and saving 657 gallons of oil.

A six-micron filter removes debris from the oil and has a heating element to eliminate moisture. "The removal of moisture from the oil keeps the acidity of the oil in check and almost completely removes sludge," says Steve Nolan of Alaska West Express in Fairbanks. Rather than changing the oil every 25,000 miles, oil is tested and changed only when necessary which lowers maintenance costs.

Alaska Marine Lines has been using similar units to filter hydraulic fluid and oil on its equipment. "These units require a change in thinking from routine oil changes to sampling and changing based on actual need," says Les Candee, Equipment Maintenance and Procurement Manager at Alaska Marine Lines. "It requires that sampling becomes part of the maintenance culture, as opposed to automatically draining and disposing of all fluids on a time-based program".

Lynden celebrated the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day this month by continuing its environmental sustainability efforts. The Lynden family of transportation companies has been an industry leader in reducing its carbon footprint including recent design changes in its truck fleet that have improved fuel economy by 23 percent.

"Earth Day is a perfect time to reflect on the many ways Lynden is committed to protecting the environments where we do business. We were working 'green' before it became so popular," says Alex McKallor, Chief Operating Officer for Lynden Inc. "From innovative containers to equipment that requires less fuel and reduces harmful pollutants, we are constantly searching for ways to save energy and use resources efficiently. Our culture of innovation and efficiency is in harmony with our commitment to reduce waste and be a model of environmental stewardship."

Lynden was the first transportation company in Alaska to gain SmartWay certification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to earn the state's Green Star Award. It is on the list of Inbound Logistics' Green Supply Chain Partners and, in 2008, Lynden launched a Green Initiative stating its goals and asking employees for ideas on how to operate 'leaner and greener.' Many of these suggestions have been implemented.

Most recently, Lynden company Brown Line LLC introduced an aerodynamic tractor-trailer design with side skirts and roof fairings that improved fuel economy. The design, plus other changes such as driver training, reducing speeds and new engines and tires, has helped Brown Line drastically reduce fuel consumption and emissions by nearly 25 percent.

In addition to its own green efforts, Lynden supports local organizations in their environmental programs. Lynden transports recyclable paper from Anchorage to Seattle for Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR) and moves aluminum cans from Cordova to Anchorage for recycling in support of Cordova High School's fundraising program. Lynden Air Cargo participates in a back haul program for the Yukon River Tribal Watershed Council to help clean up Alaska's village communities and Alaska Marine Lines transports gillnets for recycling in Cordova.

For more information on Lynden's environmental policy and programs, visit www.lynden.com/about/green/stewardship.html. Lynden is a family of companies offering truckload and less-than-truckload freight to Alaska, charter barges, rail barges, intermodal bulk chemical hauls, scheduled and chartered air freighters, domestic and international shipping via air and ocean forwarding, customs brokerage, trade show shipping, remote site construction, sanitary bulk commodities hauling and multi-modal logistics. Lynden companies are repeat winners in the annual Quest for Quality customer service awards presented by Logistics Management magazine.

The Lynden family of companies was named to Inbound Logistics’ 2011 Green Supply Chain Partners list for its commitment to the environment. The list appeared in an issue of Inbound Logistics magazine in late 2011.

"The companies selected as this year's 75 Green Supply Chain Partners have a long-standing history of efficiency and an internal commitment to be as lean and green as possible," says Felecia Stratton, Inbound Logistics Editor.

According to Lynden Inc. Executive Vice President of Operations Alex McKallor, Lynden’s culture of innovation and efficiency is completely in harmony with protecting the environment. “Lynden’s people, equipment, processes and technology are focused on the efficient use of resources and sustainable operations. Better fuel economy, better routes and higher payloads together have greatly reduced our fuel consumption per ton of freight moved while at the same time providing our customers with improved service,” he says.

Last year, Lynden’s Green Team once again asked employees for their ideas for Lynden to be "leaner and greener." The Green Team received more than 100 responses and many ideas have already been put into action.

New paperless processes are available due to employee suggestions. For example, Lynden's IT group has improved systems to upload electronic images eliminating the need to print and then scan. Lynden Transport and LTI, Inc. are testing electronic-logs to replace paper time cards, and Lynden Transport is testing the use of handheld devices to collect signatures electronically rather than using paper driver records. Lynden International has reduced its greenbar paper waste by 40 percent by changing to electronic reports and eliminating unnecessary prints with their General Office is saving roughly 180,000 sheets of paper and $6,000 per year.

There were a number of recommendations to provide extended training for use of the paperless EZ commerce system. As a result, a Learning Management System (LMS) training piece is currently under development to teach sales, customer service and accounting employees how to help our customers use the EZ commerce.

Energy efficiency was a top priority for employees who responded to the survey. Between 2008 and 2010, nine Lynden locations invested in energy efficiency upgrades such as lighting, motion sensors, dock seals and fans. Together, these investments are saving nearly 1,000 megawatts of electricity, 25,000 therms of natural gas, 415 metric tons of CO2, and over $100,000 per year in energy costs. Lynden Transport's Fife Service Center recently replaced high pressure sodium lights with energy efficient LED lights, and upgrades are underway at Anchorage's South Air Park facility. Also in 2011, Alaska Hovercraft in Bethel, Alaska Marine Trucking in Juneau, and Lynden Transport in Fairbanks conducted energy audits to identify top priorities for energy efficiency.

Lynden employees asked for recycling at locations where it was not yet available. Recycling programs are now in place at all 60 Lynden locations. Lynden recycles items that are accepted locally as well as toxic items like batteries, fluorescent lights and ink cartridges. In remote locations in Alaska, the Lynden system is used to backhaul items to locations where they can be recycled.

Lynden strives to efficiently move freight with the highest regard for the health and safety of our employees, and with the utmost care for the environment. To learn more about our environmental policy, check out our Environmental Page. For more information on the principles Lynden strives to manage our business by, view our Green Brochure.

The graphic below breaks down our new Lynden Transport trucks, showing how the different features help contribute to environmental efficiencies.